Darlo's World

So the current first years at Leeds Uni have discovered where they’ll be taking a year of study and it had me thinking of when I first got the news I was going to Konan Uni. I had no idea what it was like, what kind of classes there were, what students thought of it etc. A few students I’ve had the pleasure of meeting kept an online blog going while they were there, myself included right here, so I thought I would share links to those blogs just to help give the new guys an idea of what they might be up for.

last updated 14th Feb 2010

Year-in-Japan Program at Konan University (Facebook Group)

2009-2010
Jayson O’Reilly – Leeds student studying at Konan who’s said you can contact him if you have any questions Facebook Profile

2008-2009
Darlo’s World (UK) (September to February starts HERE, February onward starts HERE.)
I Think I’m Turning Japanese (US) (Starts HERE with a general review HERE)
Fabian Fier (Germany) (Starts HERE)
A German Physicist In Japan (Germany) (Starts HERE)
Spirited Away To Japan (US) (Starts HERE)
Red Sunset XIII (US) (Starts HERE)
My Year In The Land Of The Rising Sun (US) (Starts HERE)

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It seems yesterday was a good day for pictures. To start with I uploaded a shed-load of pictures from my time in Japan to the blogpress site, and have scheduled it so more will be added daily so do feel free to have a gander at those.

Also the other day out of the blue I combined to Japanese words in my head and thought it sounded quite funny; とても卵 (Totemo Tamago). Literally translated as very egg, at roughly the same time I had a picture of a boss-type egg in my head and thought it’d make for an interesting T-Shirt design. So yesterday I sat down, opened up Flash and drew it out. It’s currently on Cafepress if you do fancy buying one (if you want me to put it on a different coloured shirt let me know and I’ll see what I can do).

Finally, lately I started playing a Japanese (language) MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) in an effort to keep up learning Japanese from different non-textbook sources. Mabinogi (マビノギ) is pretty much your general level-up type rpg, but as far as helping my language goes … well, I’m thankful I have a dictionary and luck. Anyone fancying a go at Mabinogi, have your character on the モリアン (morian) server so we can help each other out.

Living with no internet, or that is to say, very limited access to the internet is a real P.I.T.A (pain in the arse). Though I have been lucky in that the Uni’s Wi-Fi just reaches my house (sometimes, that is) it’s speed has been lacking a lot of lustre and not to mention there are some websites that are blocked from accessing on that connection. We’re looking into getting our own connection, just a matter of finding a decent provider at a decent price.

I managed to submit my ‘Year Abroad Report’ on time last week, and though I won’t put it up online for you all to view (mainly because if you look back through my blog you’ll be able to see everything anyway), the 2500 word limit meant I had to cut a lot of what I wanted to discuss from the report. Looking back over all the things I’d done (despite an even longer list of things I wanted to do) and all the people I’d met made me feel really nostalgic. This was especially hit home when I stared blu-tacking some of my photos on to the wall and chatting to a Japanese friend on Skype. It made me realise how I’d made Japan my home, and how, for the first time in my life, I was homesick.

So now I don’t (technically speaking) have to do anything until September (though I am re-studying what I balls’d up on for my re-test), I’ve been on the look out for a part time job. In the news there’s been a lot of information about graduates struggling to get into jobs, but what hasn’t been covered is the current students who are struggling to find part time jobs in order to stay alive during their time at Uni.

Seriously, last week I printed off 50 CVs and went into town. I only saw one place actively hiring anyone (a gents hairdresser looking for a full timer), but what really shocked me was the number of places that wouldn’t even take a copy of my CV. These shops told me they had either just taken on people, or had no intention of hiring in the foreseeable future. But come on, taking the CV gives me a glimmer of hope. Even though there’re no signs in the window and you could just as easilly bin it the moment I leave the store, giving a straight up ‘no’ is just irritating.

So I guess it’s down to pasta and meatballs and minimal pubbage so I don’t exhaust my penny jar before my next student loan payment … in September!

Yesterday I took the last of my things from Telford and made my last trip to Leeds, never to return … well ‘never’ is a bit of a strong word, let’s just say I won’t be back for a bit. Already I can feel my ears adjust to a quieter environment, which is weird when you consider I’m smack bang (20 minutes walk) from a city center. At the moment most of my mates from Leeds are either in Japan (those lucky sons of bi … urm) or at home, so it’s quite lonesome. This emphasised somewhat by the fact I’m in a 5 bed house alone, but with no queue for the shower it does have it’s advantages.

I’ve already hit my old pizza place and made use of the great (well, not bad) Leeds free city bus, but this time around I want to actually take a real bus at some point. Actually that’s not so much want, but need to. I haven’t brought a car with me this time because of what happened to the last one. I know it’s wrong to blame an entire city for what happened to it, but since I’m living pretty close to where I was before I didn’t fancy risking it either way.

On the subject of unfortunate things, my beloved television that I bought with my paper round money when I was 14 (I’m 25 now) and has travelled with me on many adventures (not to Japan though), has finally died. At some point between leaving Telford and arriving in my new room in Leeds, it suffered damage to the power button and won’t turn on. It’s also making strange ‘ticking’ noises when I try to power up. It’s gutting I know, but I know I will have to move on (and get a new TV).

So what happens now for this Anglo-Carribbean student of Japanese in Yorkshire? Tomorrow I’m off to the Parkinson Building to work on my Japanese, and also write up my final report of my year of studying at Konan University. Why not tonight I hear you (Simon) ask? Because I’m gonna pop t’ pub.

So I’ll leave you with something weird; the cast from Spongebob dubbing three classic films (Godfather, Singing in the Rain & Casablanca).

The speed at which these packages I sent from Japan never ceases to amaze me. I looked at my receipts from them today and looking at the dates sent and how quick the first box came, I came to the conclusion that it’d be another two weeks or so before I saw the next box.

That was until this afternoon when a Parcelforce van came by with not one, but two of my boxes. These two (the second and third sent packages from Japan) were sent on the 11th and 12th of May, arriving in just 1 month and 15 (and 14) days, half the time of the 3 months I was told when I sent them off. The next package I sent was two days later on the 14th of May, but because I’m incredibly pesimistic (and because it’s the weekend) I’m not expecting it to arrive in two days time. The next package is my Osaka version of Monopoly.